¹ PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the order of God, our Saviour, and Lord, Jesus Christ, who is our hope;

² to Timothy, my genuine son in faith: grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³ As I exhorted thee to abide at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest enjoin certain persons to introduce no different doctrine,

⁴ nor to attend to fables and endless genealogies, which give occasion to disputes rather than godly edification, which is by faith; so do.

⁵ For the end of the commandment is love out of a clean heart, and good conscience, and faith unfeigned:

⁶ from which some, having swerved, have turned aside to vain babbling;

⁷ affecting to be doctors of the law, though they underhand neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

⁸ But we know that the law is good if a man use it according to its institution;

⁹ knowing this, that the law is not made for the just man, but for the lawless and disorderly, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for men-slayers,

¹⁰ for whoremongers, for sodomites, for stealers of men, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing which is contrary to sound doctrine,

¹¹ according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been put in trust.

¹² And I render thanks to him who hath strengthened me, even to Christ Jesus our Lord, that he hath counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

¹³ who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and insolently violent, But I was admitted to mercy, for I did it ignorantly in unbelief;

¹⁴ but the grace of our Lord hath exceedingly abounded with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief.

¹⁶ But for this end obtained I mercy, that in me, the chief, Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to those who should after believe in him unto eternal life.

¹⁷ Now to the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

¹⁸ This commandment, son Timothy, I give thee, according to the prophecies which were before delivered concerning thee, that by them thou mightest war a good warfare;

¹⁹ holding faith and a good conscience, which some having renounced, as touching the faith, have been shipwrecked:

²⁰ of whom are Hymeneus and Alexander, whom I have delivered over unto Satan, that they may be corrected, so as to blaspheme no more.